Work-life Dilemma. Should I stay or should I go?

The hustle and bustle of Tokyo versus a sleepy fishing village in Costa Rica’s Pacific coast? Suit and tie versus shorts, a tank top and sandals? Waking up to the distant humming of the first bullet train or to a cacophony of scarlet macaws, howler monkeys and crawling iguanas? Should I throw the corporate towel and pick up the beach towel?

What a dilemma...a good predicament, I'm told. I am, by no means, mentally or financially ready to retire to be honest.? I love working. I love corporate life and have been labeled as a results-driven corporate warrior. As much as I enjoy corporate life in an exciting city like Tokyo, I do need my dose of vitamin beach from time to time. The recent job cuts in the IT sector; however, put me at this crossroads at a certain calendar age ‘when your phone stops ringing,’ as a recruiting agent told me point blank.? “You have a unique background and great experience, but this is Japan after all,”??I was told. Yikes.

First and foremost, I am grateful for the opportunities life has given me, from earning a full scholarship to complete my BA in the US to meeting my Japanese wife in college and eventually making Japan my second home.? I have consulted for top Wall Street firms and worked with some of the most brilliant IT minds of our age.? I have lived the ‘sarariman life’ with all the sacrifices it involves.??I drank plenty of the Kool-aid and enticed many to drink it, wrongly getting to believe my work defined me.

Raised by a single mother, my dad carried bananas at a farmer’s market from age 7 or so. He could not afford shoes until late in his teens and was able to put himself through nursing school to support his mom and brother and eventually raise a family of eight. ? My mom was illiterate, so working as a maid, babysitting for neighbors and housework was probably the most she could do at the time. I have had it way easier, but I just cannot see myself not working until the day I meet my maker.?? I'm a worker by nature from a country of hard working people. In fact, the?Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ranks Costa Rica 3rd in terms of longest annual average working hours among OECD members. Surprising to many, but not to me!

We live in interesting times indeed. According to McKinsey and Company, “the great attrition” saw 31% of staff walk out of their jobs after the pandemic; 52% did not feel valued at work; 40% are quiet quitting or burnt out, and, sugar on top, by 2045, AI may replace half of worker’s job activities.? Despite this, I feel Japan Inc. is in the midst of a tectonic demographic shift. Japan is back with a vengeance with the likes of Warren Buffett investing here left and right, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, visiting Japan twice in the last 3 months, a record breaking Nikkei average and, according to the Japan Travel Bureau, a 450% increase in inbound visitors in 2023. Things are looking up despite what is happening in other latitudes.

I could also have the best of both worlds working from the beach for one of many prestigious multinationals operating out of Costa Rica (and as long as they put their money where their mouth is regarding diversity, inclusion and equity). It's not just about me, though, as the in-laws age and my daughter embarks in the adventures of Japan's corporate life herself. I see myself in Japan for at least 5 more years or maybe longer while I work on my Airbnb project back home. I love Japan. My life is here; here and now. For now, the beach can wait.

Reality bites as I am now living the agony of unemployment. I remain optimistic and hopeful, having risen from the ashes, stronger and wiser, a few times before thanks to the unconditional support of friends and family. As a professional career coach put it, "there is a great company out there hoping to find an awesome professional like you. You just need to find each other."

Credits:

McKinsey and Company, The future of Work, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work

The Japan News by The Daily Yomiuri, https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20230206-89200/

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, https://www.oecd.org/